WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get. This is a journal blog, an explore-blog, a bit of this and that blog. Sharing where the mood takes me. Perhaps it will take you too.

Meno-B-ility - Keeping Things Contained

Continence. Mostly this term is used in connection with abstention from physical relations. I, for example, as well as being an aachaarya (spiritual teacher), am brahmacharini, single marital status and celibate. It is a choice, not an unavoidable condition!

What use is this knowledge to the general public, to the readers here? Well, the purpose of my A - Z offerings is to provide prompts for self-improvement. Brahmacharya, whilst it can be taken for the purely physical aspect of sexual restraint, is also to be taken at the philosophical level. Self-discipline. This means that we must consider all the potential for distraction and impurity in our lives. A clear and conspicuous example might be language. If our words are unclean, then our minds certainly are. Brahmacharya cannot be applied if our minds are not resolved to continence also.

It would be obvious, given its meaning, that to watch or listen to porn would be an absolute no-no. It would be fair to assume that the majority of readers here would not go there anyway. However, consider this… zombies, snuff-movies, other horror genres, movies and shows in which the language and behaviour are of the gutter… all of these assault and demean us as much as any brazen sexual act. Certain types of music aggravate us - even if we think we like the stuff, it is polluting us. A great many of the popular television and films now would not be considered fit for one who wishes to embrace brahmacharya. They appeal to the baser nature, to the animalistic part of our being. Something, once seen, cannot be unseen. It is, therefore, a pollutant. Impurity is the result. We have to work harder to scrub it away.

The goal of any self-improvement is to have full health and well-being and to be able to sit well in society. We can do all the running, weight-lifting, dietary control and so on, but ultimately, if we are taking in only junk food and mind-altering drinks and substances, at best all we are doing is keeping status quo.  What determines whether all that effort will hold and whether we are generally decent folk, is the state of our mind. If we cannot be continent in our thinking, nothing we physically do will fix us. Virtually everything which will take us to good physical health, and bring us to the best we can be, begins at thought-level.

Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of Singularity is all about learning how to overcome our inner hurdles, deal with the monkey mind and improve our intellectual power. This is achieved best through the application of brahmacharya.

This is not novel. It is not restricted to we who chose to walk a spiritual path. Here's the thing… self-control and discipline are essential aspects of any walk of life where one wishes to attain high goals. One may be married, but can still apply this principle. Do not be wanton. Understand purpose. The desire for a better you, deeply felt, will spark the process of brahmacharya.


27 comments:

  1. Mind over matter:)

    Love the colors in today's spirograph- we find them very soothing.

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  2. Well K10 stole my thunder...I was going to say
    B for beautiful writing and menorise.
    Happy Easter Monday
    HiC

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  3. Our body, mind and spirit is a person alter. We should take care of it. But for some reason we fall short. A lease I do.
    Coffee is on

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  4. As a horror writer I'd struggle avoiding horror (not that I'd want to) but I get what you're saying. I think as long as we understand the line between fiction and real life then we can have a healthy state of mind and still enjoy these things
    Debbie

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    1. Hari OM
      Definitely there is a line for the fact v fiction... however, in the philosophical field, the question must be asked and addressed as to why one would go to these dark corners. There are also degrees when it comes to the telling of such tales. A good suspense, well told and focused on the people in it, can certainly have frisson; but so much now is gratuitous in the extreme. Yxx

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    2. I so agree. There can be a mystery, in a movie or novel, but much is gratuitous. One must be careful.

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  5. Very inspiring post! I hadn't heard about this viewpoint and am so glad I stopped by through the Blogging from A to Z Challenge! During the past six months I've been making a more concerted effort to lead a healthier life in all aspects - mind, body, and spirit. Your sentence about everything beginning at the thought level is so true. Everything truly does rest on how one thinks. As The OP Pack above said, it is mind over matter.

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  6. Hmmm...Today is tomorrow where you are!
    I guess that makes us late!
    ♫♪♥♥♥♥♫♪Happy Easter to all you ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥
    Purrs and Love
    Marv and Mom

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  7. Self control and discipline are the secret to a healthy and happy life in my opinion too. There are so many assaults on the mind and body everyday from everywhere; we should learn to filter it out slowly and steadily to attain a happier self for sure. Negativity is the biggest pollutant for us and it can be through fod, words, people, relationships, etc. Loved this post Yamini - it made so much sense to me and strengthened my resolve to begin meditating again religiously!! :-)

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  8. I'm a great believer in what you feed your mind is what you become - filling it with unhealthy thoughts, movies, porn or whatever does nothing to edify you - and it desensitizes you to what's evil and ugly in our world. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this.

    Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au
    B for Believe in Yourself

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  9. A beautiful, inspiring post. It made my day :)

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  10. that is true... if our mind and our thinking is not well balanced all what we do is swaying like a ship in storm too...

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  11. The word that caught my attention was 'continent' - can mean vast, and yet also means contained, circumscribed, circumspect. Words are so cool. I'm beginning to sound like a C-post I think.

    A fan of moderation in all things here.

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    1. Hari M
      &*> Love how you expanded on the English meaning and how it fits the concept equally well! Thank you for joining in Nilanjana! Yxx

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  12. Thank you for always visiting me. Do agree with self-control and discipline for I, too, am a Brahmacharya.

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  13. Beautiful mandala. Thanks.


    Beth
    https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/

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  14. I have to say I don't completely agree with your view point, but I applaud you for your self-discipline and control. If more people looked inward rather than lashing out at the world or looking at the world as something to exploit, we would be living on a much happier planet. And thank you ever so much for visiting my blog.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings - Movie Monsters

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    1. Hari OM
      Thanks Tasha - the beauty of the world is the very many p.o.v. and cultural difference. It is embellished and polished by the individuals being the best they can be... or not. Our choices are valid to us, as are our mistakes and our experiences. All are personal and can only be accounted for to ourselves. Yxx

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  15. I agree that looking inward is a key first step toward self improvement. Well said. At one point in my life, I wanted to lose 70 lbs after hormonal treatment for endometriosis caused my metabolism to slow dramatically. The key was committing myself to that goal -- it was 17 years ago, and I'm still at a normal weight, primarily by studying my thoughts and realizing that I have control over how I live my life.

    I'm sorry to have been MIA. We were away "off the grid" (no cell service except when we surfaced to resupply) for three weeks. There's nothing like getting unplugged to bring more introspection to life.

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  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. Self control and discipline are two most important things in life. But, these are the two things that require persistent efforts if one wants a quality life. Very nice post. I enjoyed reading it! :)

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  17. i agree that what we see and read and hear and watch in movies or on TV can harm us completely. self control is one of the hardest things for humans to do.... as we see by all the pastors and priests and famous people and last but not least our political people. the sad thing is, humans have been out of control since humans began life. and no one learns from others past experiences.... all we can do is Try...

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    1. Hari OM
      That's it exactly Sandra; each individual must determine how much effort they wish to make to improve themselves and their circumstances. Yxx

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  18. Does this mean I have to give up Agatha Christie or NCIS? namaste, janice xx

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    1. Hari OM
      &*> absolutely not Janice! You picked two of my faves also!

      It is about the level of things. Violence does occur in those items but they are presented as what happens in the world and then seeks resolution. I am talking the stuff which tends to glorify the villain - and there are lots of those now... one sees there is even a show called Lucifer for crying out loud... Yxx

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  19. Hello, Nice Blog! Good Luck on the A-Z challenge! Zulu Delta

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